Chapter 73

"... What's your name?"

In my memory, Liang's younger sister had never been so petite and endearing.

It probably only lasted for a short period when I was young.

So Liang suddenly had an urge to pull the girl in front of him into his arms.

Haihara was silent for a moment, then said her name in a rather subdued tone:

"Haihara... Lily Chou."

She rarely tells others her full name.

Because it didn't suit her, she was often ridiculed by those around her when she was young; it didn't sound like a name that someone as gloomy and ordinary as her would have.

Liang felt like she'd heard that name somewhere before.

It seems to be the stage name of the female lead in one of Shunji Iwai's movies, "Lily Chou".

However, by the time that movie came out... Haihara should have already been born.

But Liang didn't find it strange; on the contrary, it made her even more certain of a fact...

"Your clothes aren't washed yet, and it's getting late. Why don't you have lunch here?"

Ryo wants to invite Haihara to lunch here.

"Wouldn't this be too much trouble for you?"

Even Haihara felt a little embarrassed.

I went to their house to take a shower and also had lunch there.

She didn't have anything to give Miss Liang, and didn't know if Miss Liang could accept cash.

But... it seems she doesn't have much money left in her wallet.

"It's okay, I'm usually home alone, so I always make extra."

There doesn't seem to be any reason to refuse.

Haihara stayed to eat.

Chapter Five: Ignorance

Haihara wanted to cook for Miss Liang, but Miss Liang insisted on cooking for her herself, so she had no choice but to sit obediently at the table and wait for Miss Liang to finish making lunch.

From here you can see the kitchen, where Miss Liang, wearing an apron, is slowly and methodically preparing a meal, exuding an intellectual and elegant air.

This reminded Haihara that Ryo-san had mentioned working at Kaedehara High School.

But the car and house that Ms. Liang drives don't seem like those of an ordinary high school teacher. Perhaps she comes from a well-off family, or maybe Ms. Liang is some kind of leader at the school?

As she was thinking about these things, she saw a phone call from Kiriori.

After the call connected, she heard her daughter's voice on the phone.

[Mom, did you bring an umbrella today? Did you get wet in the rain?]

Kiriori's tone was somewhat worried.

Actually, her daughter is much more thoughtful than her. Haihara remembered that after they parted yesterday, Kiriori seemed to have reminded her to bring an umbrella, and then mentioned it again this morning.

However, Haihara still couldn't remember.

"No, Mom brought an umbrella. Mom will pick you up this afternoon."

It was a lie.

Not only did she get soaked in the rain, but she was also taken home by a strange woman she had just met that morning, where she took a shower and changed clothes.

Of course, she didn't want to tell Kiriori about this.

Have you had lunch yet? Eat a good lunch, or Mom can come pick me up early and I'll cook for her.

She hasn't had lunch yet.

Haihara glanced at Ryou-san subconsciously and saw that Ryou-san had almost finished preparing lunch and was carrying the dishes to the table.

So Haihara stood up and helped Ryo-san put the dishes on the table, while talking to Kiriori:

"I... I'll pick you up this afternoon. Is everything alright with Aunt Kougami?"

Now, her daughter is temporarily staying at her childhood sweetheart's house.

Aunt Kougami is very kind to me, but there are some things she says that I don't quite understand...

"What did you say?"

Haihara a little confused.

She said she doesn't mind that you already have a daughter... and that she'll treat me like her own daughter from now on?

To be honest, Haihara didn't understand much either.

My childhood sweetheart has always been quite enigmatic; if I understood her, they wouldn't have drifted apart so much later.

But the general meaning is probably that Kougami will take good care of his daughter, right?

"And then what happened?"

[Aunt Kougami looked at me and cried, saying I didn't look like my mother... But I definitely do! I'll comfort Aunt Kougami later.]

"Oh... then you must listen to Aunt Kougami."

Haihara felt that her daughter was probably better at comforting people than she was, so she decided to leave it to Kiriori.

While she was chatting, Ms. Ryo was still slowly setting the table, but after seeing Haihara on the phone, she suddenly had some other thoughts.

After confirming that Kiriori was alright for the time being, Haihara lowered her head and thought for a while:

"That... Kiriori."

[Um?]

Haihara's tone was unusually uneasy, but she maintained her adult composure, only her gaze was slightly lowered.

"Mom's job interview this time might not go well..."

She failed the interview this time as well.

She may not be able to find a high school teaching job before her daughter starts high school.

Although she was in a bad mood, she still had to be honest with Kiriori about it.

[It doesn't matter, I just want to be with you. Nothing else matters, as long as you're happy...]

Before Kiriori could finish speaking on the phone, Ryo suddenly reminded Haihara:

"Lily, dinner's ready."

The woman said very gently.

On the phone, Kiriori's tone became somewhat confused:

[Mom, did I hear that right...? Why is there another woman's voice?]

Haihara paused for a moment.

"I... I'm eating out, and there are other people around."

She couldn't explain to her daughter that she had gone to a strange woman's house; it wouldn't be good if her daughter misunderstood.

At that moment, Ms. Ryo picked up her chopsticks, took out a piece of omelet, and put it to Haihara's lips.

Haihara instinctively opened her mouth and ate it.

Ryo-chan smiled as she watched Haihara eat, and it seemed as if her mood brightened as well.

Seeing Ryo's smile, Haihara's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head awkwardly.

Am I overthinking this? Remember to pick me up this afternoon.

"Uh-huh..."

Goodbye, love you~

"I love you too."

For some reason, Haihara a little guilty.

After that, Haihara hung up the phone and looked back at Ryo, who had already sat down.

"Sorry, you don't need to wait for me."

The other person seemed to be waiting for her to finish her call, Haihara said somewhat embarrassedly.

"It's okay, I want to wait for you to eat together. Come and try it!"

Ryo rested her cheek on her hand, gazing tenderly at Haihara picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

Although it was just lunch made for people I didn't know well, it was quite a feast... There were some dishes that Haihara had never seen before, and they didn't seem quite right to eat with rice.

However, there are some things that Haihara likes, such as grilled ribs and scallops grilled with garlic sauce.

It's still raining outside, making me want to eat something to warm my stomach.

After taking a few bites, Haihara sat there, lost in thought for a while.

These dishes... suit her taste perfectly.

While everyone would find something delicious delicious, Haihara felt that the flavors of these foods were just right.

Miss Liang is a very suitable person to be a wife...

Then, Haihara discovered that Ryo-san seemed to genuinely enjoy taking care of people.

They might even come and feed her on their own initiative.

Does this mean they're treating themselves like a child...?

Haihara felt that the age difference between her and the other person might not be that much; at least Ryo-san looked very young and beautiful.

Although Haihara herself really enjoyed being taken care of by this beautiful older sister.

Is there really such a good thing in the world?

After failing to find a job, he was taken in by a kind, older woman he didn't know and lived with. He bathed and ate at her house and is still being fed by her.

Haihara knows she's not exactly the attractive type.

She was of average appearance, at most not bad-looking, but otherwise seemed gloomy and boring. Haihara really couldn't understand why she would treat her this way.

In this process of being cared for and being cared for, Haihara finished her meal.

Liang didn't seem to have much of an appetite, or perhaps she wasn't hungry at all; she just drank alone for a while.

Do you drink alcohol?

Miss Liang asked, swirling her wine glass.

"I know a little."

She drinks on her own sometimes, but she's never drunk with anyone. For her, drinking is something for her own enjoyment, so she probably doesn't have a high alcohol tolerance.

Would you mind having a drink with me?

"... OK."

Since Miss Ryo has said so, Haihara has no reason to refuse.

The woman poured her a glass of wine, which appeared to be pale yellow, but without bubbles and had a fragrant aroma. Haihara had only ever drunk beer or clear sake before, and had never seen anything like this.

I took a sip, and it was both bitter and spicy, with a strong alcohol taste. The rest of the taste seemed to have a hint of fragrance and sweetness.

After drinking with Ryo-san for a while, Haihara temporarily got used to it, though she felt a little dizzy.

Although he was always gentle when he was with her, Haihara felt that after he brought her home, he was always in a state of being both happy and somewhat melancholy.

I don't know why I'm happy, nor do I know why I'm sad.

Haihara didn't know what to do next.

After a while, once the clothes are washed and dried, she can leave. But what else should she do while being taken care of by Miss Liang?

Were you... just talking on the phone with your daughter?